Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
Saturday's debate will be the first televised debate held in the run up to the Dec. 7 elections.
PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
"It is my goal in the next four years to upgrade Taipei into a world-class capital that is cultural, healthy, safe, convenient and high-tech," Ma said at his conference.
Aside from stressing his hope to see Sungshan Airport used as a base for direct cross-strait flights, the mayor also said that he would turn the Huashan Arts District into a city park.
Ma said he has specific plans for each of the city's 12 administrative districts, including the development of the Sungshan and Hsinyi MRT lines, a technology park in Neihu, a tourist cable car in Wenshan and a software park in Nankang.
For the Chungshan district, Ma spoke of developing Chungshan North Road into an art boulevard. He also outlined plans for a metropolitan renovation project in Datong, a Nanhai art and cultural park in Chungcheng, the development of the Kuantu plain in Peitou, an economic industrial park in Shihlin, a movie theme park in Wanhua and a religious theme road in the Daan district.
At a separate press conference, Lee told reporters that in addition to his previously announced proposals for a domed stadium, 182-hectare city park project and a light-rail system, he would work to manage Taipei's street vendors to help improve the cultural image of these vendors.
Citing statistics from the city's Market Administration, Lee said that there are approximately 2,700 registered and 15,000 non-registered street vendors in the city.
"From breakfast to late night, from sidewalks to tourist spots, where there is a crowd, there are street vendors," Lee said. "Thus, I personally think its undeniable that various kinds of street vendors are part of Taipei City's culture."
However, management of these vendors has been problematic to the city because of issues such as traffic congestion, environmental protection and evading payment of taxes, said Lee.
Lee said his proposal would include policies that would manage a complete record of the city's street vendors and their locations.
The policies would also work to professionalize a system that maintains public sanitary control, protects consumer's rights and centralizes specific kinds of merchandise as a means of focusing tourism, he added.
After his press conference, Lee teamed up with President Chen Shui-bian (
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